The government estimates that the plant will cut the cost of fertiliser by about 40 per cent, or less than Sh2,000 per the 50kg bag. PHOTO | FILE
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Toyota Tsusho has called for expression of interest for the distribution and sale of fertiliser from reputable agrochemical dealers and specialised agencies.
The firm’s processing plant is expected to start operations in August.
Distributors will mainly be placed in key farming regions such as the North Rift, Western Kenya, Narok and Mwea.
Toyota Tsusho has begun to build a network of distributors as it prepares to roll out fertiliser production in about one month.
Chairman and adviser for Toyota in East Africa Dennis Awori said the firm’s processing plant is expected to start operations in August.
The firm has called for expression of interest for the distribution and sale of fertiliser from reputable agrochemical dealers and specialised agencies.
“What we are doing now is to build a strong pool of distributors who will supply the fertiliser on our behalf and ensure that it reaches our customers on time,” Mr Awori told the Business Daily on Thursday.
Distributors will mainly be placed in key farming regions such as the North Rift, Western Kenya, Narok and Mwea.
Toyota started the construction of a $1.2 billion (Sh121 billion at current exchange rates) fertiliser plant in Uasin Gishu last year, opening a window for farmers in the country’s breadbasket to buy the critical input cheaply.
The government estimates that the plant will cut the cost of fertiliser by about 40 per cent, or less than Sh2,000 per the 50kg bag.
This will also save the government billions of shillings in subsidies. The government spends Sh3 billion annually to provide farmers with low-cost fertiliser at Sh1,600 compared to market rate of Sh3,500.
Mr Awori pointed out that the fertiliser that the factory will be blending is soil-specific and aimed at meeting the deficiencies on farms.
Toyota early this year signed a deal with Moi University to study soil and establish suitability of different types of fertiliser for given locations.
Fertiliser such as the NPK that Toyota will start producing are of different shades depending on the ratio of chemicals, including NPK 17:17:17, NPK 20:20:0 and NPK 23:23:23.
But farmers have been using the fertilisers with little regard for soil type, distorting acidity and affecting crop production.
Mr Awori said the right type of fertiliser will address increased soil acidity from wrong manure use that hurts yields.
The plant is expected to end the perennial shortage of the input, which has exposed farmers to high prices. Phase two will include production of Diammonium Phosphate, urea and Calcium Ammonium Nitrogen fertilisers.
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